Encouraging tween reading with an app that connects kids to their favourite book Worlds.
Overview
Orbit encourages reading and connects tweens over a shared love of book “Worlds”. Tweens are underserved in the book app market, yet are at a crucial period in which reading often declines as online activities increase. Instead of trying to bring kids back to physical books, why not access the virtual spaces they inhabit and help them read in a way that works for them?
Context: Adobe Creative Jam x Scholastic
Duration: 1 week
Team Partner: Deb Cua
Tools: Adobe XD
Team Partner: Deb Cua
Tools: Adobe XD
Design Touchpoints
UX Design, User Interviewing, Comparative Analysis, Sketching, Wireframing, UI Design, Prototyping
Problem
As children enter the tween years, reading for fun drops off dramatically as social media and digital content viewership begin to be prioritized. At this age, friends become a more significant source of influence as opposed to parents, and tweens begin to forge their own identities in spaces dominated by friends and peers.
In the existing marketplace for children's book apps, there are a number of gaps for tweens:
- Formats are not catered to the way tweens like to access digital content, eg. infinite scroll
- Existing fandom sites are targeted to adults and are often outdated
- Most book apps are targeted to young children or adults
Solution
Orbit uses book "Worlds" as a gateway for tweens to explore new books. Book Worlds like Harry Potter are embraced by many tweens and can serve as an entry point to book reading and a facilitator of friendships. In the Orbit app, kids can explore their favourite Worlds and chat with other fans, as well as being encouraged to explore other related books.
Key Solutions
1. Help tweens explore their favourite book Worlds and meet others with similar interests via World-specific chat rooms and wikis.
2. Expand tween reading to new books by recommending new books they might be interested in based on the book Worlds they like.
3. Allow tweens to read the way they want, with options like infinite scroll and sectioning of books to a chosen length.
4. Facilitate book reading with a tween-focused book store to purchase books that can be read or listened to as an audiobook.
Onboarding Process
Book Reader: Text and Audio Format
"Worlds" Area
Profile Area
Process Work
Based on secondary research and insights, we created a series of user personas and a primary user flow for the app.
